Forgotten Memories
by gar-a-ash
Summary: After meeting with a childhood friend, Hidan is forced to relive his past, with Kakuzu as an audience. Really old, please be nice. I can do so much better now.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Revival

Hidan grinned as he held the pike near his heart. It had been a long battle, but finally there was only one left. His smile grew wider as his eyes beheld the kunoichi before him. She held her wounds and panted in pain, eyes dull as she waited for the death he would bring her. Behind him, he could hear Kakuzu sift through the pile of dead bodies, searching for the target. The smoke from the battlefield stung his eyes and assaulted his nose. The trees pressed close, as if waiting for the blood that would water their roots. A single raven cawed, impatiently waiting for the two invaders to leave so it could feast. A raindrop fell here and there, a premonition to the storm that threatened to break.

Hidan's heightened senses took this all in, trying to enjoy the moment and preserve the memory, a final tribute to the brave ninja who had dared challenge him. What made this better was the fact that these were ninja from his old village. The symbol of their headbands matched his, except for the single line running through his. With that single mark, Hidan had given up all of his history in the Village Hidden in Waterfalls.

He lost his smile as his gaze fell on a coward who had begged for death. The shinobi had whimpered and cried, filling Hidan with disgust. Men like that did not deserve to live. He turned back to the kunoichi, who bravely met his eye. She deserved to be sacrificed to Jashin. He would be pleased with her. He grinned again as he held the pike closer. This was the end. For the ninth time that day, he would die.

"Farewell, bitch."

The kunoichi's eyes opened wide.

"Fairy?"

His mind froze as he heard that. No, it couldn't be. How could she be _here_? It can't be, it can't be, his mind thought desperately, body and mind frozen in shock. Was it really _her_?

"It is you!", she called. He was tackled to the ground by a hug, body still frozen. Could it possibly be? Could _she_ be here? He wasn't sure if it was her or not. It had been so long…

Suddenly, the weight was lifted off him and thrown. Kakuzu had arrived and had 'rescued' him by tossing her into one of the monstrous trees. His threads held themselves at her chest, prepared to steal her heart. Hidan saw this all in slow motion, mind still numb. Then it all hit him in a rush.

"Kakuzu, wait!" The threads paused, and Kakuzu looked back at him.

"Hidan?"

"She's a friend, Kakuzu, she's a friend."

Kakuzu dropped her, turning back to question Hidan's judgment. The teen girl coughed, then looked at Hidan with oh so familiar blue-silver eyes.

"Well, fairy, you really did a number on me." She coughed again, then fell to the ground.

"Why did you stop me from killing her, Hidan?"

"She's an old friend, Kakuzu. An old friend."

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Umi woke to a bright light shining in her face, dazzling her. She turned away from the painful light and coughed, wincing as stitches pulled. Wait, stitches? She rubbed her hand inside her shirt, feeling the little ridges. Yeah, she had stitches. But how? She sighed and leaned back into her pillow, squinting at the annoying light. She inhaled to steady herself, then lifted her head and looked around. She seemed to be in a sort of makeshift hospital, a small one at that. How had she gotten here?

Umi groaned and sank back, wincing as the sound tore through her raw throat. She turned her head the other way, and saw a dark doorway and a glass of water. However, her mind was only on the relief the cool liquid would bring her.

She reached out a shaky hand and grabbed it, then brought it to her lips and began gulping it down.

"Drink it slower. You don't want to choke."

Umi ignored the voice and kept drinking. She heard an angry sigh, then a dark hand covered in stitches grabbed the cup from her hands and pulled it away. She reached after it, fingers grasping air. She looked at the face the voice had originated from, and he stared back.

"I'll give it back when you promise me you'll drink it slower."

Umi nodded. The man gave the cup back, and she began drinking again, though slower than before. She felt the man's gaze on her, and started feeling defensive. She knew something was wrong about her being there, but she couldn't figure it out yet.

The glass was drained quickly, and the man took this and replaced it with another. She took it, and said, "Thank you."

The man looked away.

"You wouldn't be saying that if you knew who I was."

Umi paused in her drinking, looking at him oddly. The puzzle was almost back together again…. She shrugged it off and continued drinking. If it was important, she would figure it out eventually.

"Kakuzu, is she awake yet?!"

The man covered in stitches growled. "Of course he's here now…" Then, in a louder voice, the man said, "Yes, she's awake."

A teenager walked through the door, and it took Umi a while to recognize him.

"Hidan!"

Hidan grinned and walked in.

"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes! Damn, you look like shit!"

"Thanks, that makes me feel better."

His eyes grew serious.

"Seriously, are you all right? Kakuzu didn't hurt you or anything, right?"

"Hidan, I'll be fi-"

"Jashin damn it, if only I had known it was you! Then you wouldn't be stuck in this fucking hospital with Dumbass here!"

Umi smiled slightly.

"Giving other's nicknames? Do you still think I haven't twisted your mind?"

'Dumbass' glared at her.

"So it's your fault he calls me that ridiculous name?"

"We gave each other nicknames in high school." She winced and fell back, gasping slightly. "Damn, that hurt."

"Did you also give him his language problem?"

"No, he gave me his."

Kakuzu watched her breathing. She was panting shallowly, meaning she needed painkillers. He walked over to the counter that held them, finding a certain bottle and filling a syringe. He walked back over to her and injected it into her IV. She watched him, cautious.

"Should I assume you're poisoning me?"

"Normally, I would. However, Pein wants you alive."

"Why?"

"He wants the information you have."

She grinned and fell back, but said nothing. Still grinning, she fell asleep, drugs taking effect.

Kakuzu turned to Hidan.

"Is there anything I should know? Like why she was grinning?"

"If I knew, I still wouldn't tell you."

Kakuzu glared at him. Then he left, leaving Hidan with his childhood friend. He pulled a chair close and watched her sleep, trying to believe this wasn't just a dream that would go away. His best friend was here, the one who knew his every secret. His only friend throughout childhood. Yawning, and remembering that it was 3 a.m., he leaned forward and fell asleep, slipping into his dreams.

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Hidan ran, trying to outrun the monster behind him. Umi had warned him not to run, but it was too late now. He had already been marked prey.

The beast's glowing yellow eyes glared at his back, its hot breath panting on his heels. Hidan's gasps ran raggedly through his throat, making him wheeze. He looked behind him, right into the eyes of Hell. He tripped over an unseen root, and crashed to the ground. He tried to scurry to his feet, but the monster pinned him down with a clawed foot. He turned his face so that his cheek was pressed into the ground, looking fearfully at the monster out of the corner of his eye.

The beast brought its face close to him, breathing its hot, rotted breath in his face. The yellow eyes blazed, threatening to drag him into insanity. He panicked, trying to get his 14-year old body out from under the beast's claws. They just dug deeper into his back, pinning him more securely. The demon slowly wrapped its jaws around his neck, and-

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Hidan jumped awake, shivering. A cold sweat ran down his back, chilling him further. He panted quickly, body in alert mode. It took him a while to calm himself, but he finally was able to drink some water without spilling it down his front. He shivered deeply, trying to tell himself it was just a dream. Besides, that never happened. It could have, but it didn't.

He shook his head and brushed his hair back, still slightly shooken up. It could have so easily happened. What had he been thinking then?

Umi stirred, hand moving until it touched Hidan's elbow. She remained still for a second, then opened her crystal-blue eyes. Her copper-gold hair shimmered slightly as she turned her head toward him.

"What were you dreaming about?"

"Hmm?"

"You were having a nightmare. It woke me up."

"Sorry about that."

"So what were you dreaming about?" He sighed.

"Remember the night you showed me that? I was dreaming about the alternative." Her eyes hardened.

"I shouldn't have risked you like that." He snorted.

"Yeah, like you could have stopped me."

"I should have tried harder." Her eyes fell on his robe. "So, you're a criminal now?", she asked disapprovingly.

He looked away.

"I had no choice."

"There is always a choice."

He kept his eyes turned away, face burning with shame. Kakuzu walked in.

"You're awake?"

Keeping her eyes still on Hidan, she replied, "Obviously."

Kakuzu gritted his teeth. "I can definitely tell you knew Hidan as a kid."

Umi turned away from Hidan and looked at Kakuzu, grinning. "Can you?"

Kakuzu glared at her, ready to snap. Hidan put his hand on her arm.

"Careful, Umi, he has a short temper." She closed her eyes and leaned back against the pillow.

"Sometimes, I think my life isn't worth living through. I think death would be welcome. Maybe I should push him over the edge." Hidan looked sharply at her.

"Where did that thinking come from?" She smiled weakly.

"I don't know anymore. I think I'm losing myself in myself." She giggled hysterically. "If that makes any sense."

Kakuzu looked oddly at her. Maybe her mind wasn't stable enough to use for information. Then…. His hands flexed as he thought of what he could do to her.

Hidan looked at Kakuzu. "Pein wants her now, right?"

Kakuzu nodded.

"Then help me carry her." Kakuzu walked over and grabbed one of her arms. He pulled her up, ignoring her hiss of pain. Hidan grabbed her other arm, drawing it over his shoulders. Kakuzu took out the various needles with a sharp yank, making Umi cry out. Hidan glared at him, but was ignored. Kakuzu started walking, forcing Hidan to walk forward too.

They walked through the twisting tunnels for a while, and Umi fell asleep about five minutes into the walk. Her feet dragged along the ground as the duo walked on, traveling toward the room Pein waited in. They arrived, and Kakuzu knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Kakuzu pushed open the door, dragging Umi inside. Pein's eyes stared at them in the dark room.

"I thought I said to bring her to me when she was awake."

"She was awake when we started." Pein's eyes narrowed. Kakuzu pulled a needle out of his pocket and jabbed it into her side. He pushed the plunger down, and a few seconds later Umi's eyes snapped open.

"What did you give her?"

"Something to wake her up." Kakuzu walked over to a chair and dropped her into it, forcing Hidan to do the same. Umi shook her head uncertainly, then looked around the room. Her eyes landed on Pein's eyes. She leaned back in her chair.

"So, I presume you are the leader of the feared Akatsuki?" The way she said it belittled him, making it seem like he was the leader of a group of weaklings. His eyes flashed, then he leaned back in his chair.

"So, you do have spirit. Kakuzu, Hidan, leave." Hidan started objecting, but Kakuzu dragged him out. The last thing they heard before the door swung shut was the leader's low voice asking a question.

The duo walked back to their room, Hidan furious. It really pissed him off when Kakuzu ignored him. He didn't want to admit it, but he was also worried about Umi.

They arrived at their shared room. Hidan walked in the room first, seething, and Kakuzu followed him. He shut the door behind him, then turned to Hidan.

"How does she know you?"

Hidan stared at him.

"You want to know?"

"I am curious, yes." Hidan strode over to his bed.

"Sit down, it's a long story."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Beginning

"_You really want to know?"_

"_Yes, I am curious."_

"_Then sit down, it's a long story." Kakuzu sat on the edge of his bed, getting comfortable. Hidan could tell long stories, if he was interested enough._

"_You see, it all began when my family moved to the Waterfall Village…."_

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"Mom, seriously, why do we have to move out in the middle of nowhere?"

"Hidan, it's not the middle of nowhere, it's the Hidden Steam Village, and you're lucky we got a space to move here. It's a nice place to live."

"It's boring! Seriously, do you see a mall anywhere?"

"Hidan, you're only 13. You don't need a mall."

"What am I supposed to do for fun?"

"Go play outside with friends. This is a new beginning, maybe you can make friends here."

"Mom, I'm a freak. No one's going to want to make friends with an albino."

"Hidan, you're not a freak, you're different. You will make friends here."

"Whatever."

The hired bodyguards politely ignored their conversation, while horses carried their belongings. They had a long while to walk. It was no wonder people didn't move too often. However, their guides/bodyguards assured them that they should arrive by nightfall, after three days of traveling. Finally, the village came within sight.

"Finally!" Hidan ran forward, eager to sleep in an actual bed tonight.

"Hidan! Stay back here!"

Just then, a group of rogue ninja attacked him. Hidan screamed and tried running back to the guards, but more rogues cut them off. However, the guards took out the bandits quickly. Hidan watched them, and he decided right then he wanted to be a ninja more than anything else in the world. Maybe, just maybe, no one would laugh at him then.

His mother rushed forward, screaming, "Hidan! Are you allright?" He pushed her away, saying, "I'm fine, Mom." He watched the ninja, impressed. Maybe he could become better than even them.

The head ninja came over, putting his hand on Hidan's shoulder. "You know son, you shouldn't run ahead like that."

"How do you become a ninja?" The leader blinked.

"Huh?"

"I want to be a ninja." The leader grinned.

"Just sign up at the ninja academy. We're always looking for new students."

Hidan got a purposeful look on his face, and they all walked to the village together.

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"_Wait, it was then you decided you wanted to be a ninja?"_

"_Yeah. It took almost being killed to knock into my head what I was made for. Of course, I didn't know then that I was immortal."_

_Hidan was silent for a bit._

"_So, when does that girl come into the story?", Kakuzu prodded._

"_I met her my first day at school…."_

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Hidan sighed. He lost count of how many stares and whispers he had gotten today. And still, he couldn't find his locker. He read the numbers on the green doors, counting down to 11. Let's see, 13, 12,…. 11! There it was!

A girl had her locker open, locker number 10. She had her locker neatly organized, able to get her books in and out of there fast. Hidan stared at his schedule, trying to figure out where the fuck he was.

"Do you need help?" Hidan looked up, meeting the girl's gaze.

"You're new here, aren't you? I haven't seen you around before."

"Yeah, I'm new. Is it that obvious?"

"Kind of is. You're holding a piece of paper and looking at door numbers. You might as well scream it down the hallway."

"Well, can you tell me where History is?"

She peered at his schedule.

"I think I can help you around. You're in the same year as me. We share a lot of classes. Come, it's this way. By the way, what was your name?"

"I'm Hidan."

"Here's history. There's a free seat over there. I sit here. I'll catch you after class." She sat down, leaving Hidan to fend for himself. As he sat down, he realized she hadn't told him her name.

After two hours of the most boring class ever, the bell finally rang. As promised, the strange girl waited for him at the doorway. He saw her grin, and worried that maybe she was just like the others, only wanting to meet the freak.

However, she just asked, "So, how was History?"

"Boring. As . Fucking. Hell." She cracked into laughter.

"Thought so. That's just a class we have to put up with this year. We don't have to take it next year."

"Thank Jashin." She blinked.

"Who's Jashin?"

"Jashin is the almighty god that rules over all! He will kill all non-believing heathens and burn their cities to the ground! He is the lord of-!"

She clamped her hand over his mouth.

"Keep it quiet, will ya'! People are staring! I'm sorry I insulted your god, but you don't need to spaz on me."

He blinked.

"Sorry." She removed her hand.

"It's all right, just warn me next time. Come on, we have Gym."

"Hey, you never told me your name", Hidan said as he rushed after her.

She turned back to meet his gaze.

"My name's Umi. Pleased to meet you."

They walked to gym, pushing aside younger students in the hallways and avoiding older ones that would do the same to them. They warning bell rang, and Umi started walking faster. The end bell rang, and they just made it into the courtyard before it finished. The gym teacher walked up to Hidan.

"Are you new here?"

"Yes."

"Well then, welcome to Gym. Start running."

"Huh?"

"Start running laps, you brat!"

Hidan gulped and shrunk closer to Umi, who was glaring at the teacher. The teacher looked at her gaze, and seemed to wilt.

"Go hang out with the freak then. She can't protect you forever." He walked away. Hidan turned to Umi.

"What was that about?"

"He hates new students, especially ones that aren't….. normal. I've been on his shit –list since I started here."

"Why does he hate you?"

She looked away. In a quiet voice, she said, "I'm not like you."

She then turned and walked away, beginning her laps. Hidan stared after her for a bit, then began running, too.

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"_Did you know what she was talking about then?", Kakuzu questioned._

"_No, not then. I found out later, but I had no idea then. I suppose if she had told me then, I wouldn't have believed her."_

"_Why, what is she?"_

"_You need to learn more about her before you can even begin to understand…."_

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After two hours of gym, Hidan was ready to collapse. This class was impossible! He panted over to the water fountain, then began gulping down water. A line formed behind him, though none were panting as much as he was. He stepped down, and Umi stood near him.

"Aren't you going to drink anything?"

"I'm not thirsty." He looked at her. She didn't even seem out of breath.

"How do you it?"

"I guess I'm more in shape than you." She didn't seem to be telling him everything, but he didn't push it. He didn't want to lose his first real friend in his life. He followed her to the next class, wondering why she wouldn't talk to him. She continued on, withdrawn into herself.

To Hidan's surprise, she led him to the cafeteria.

"Is it lunch time already?"

"Unless you don't want to eat?" she looked at him, some of her quizzical personality coming back.

"No way! I'm starving!" She grinned.

"Then let's get in line."

They found their way to the back of the line, short because of the late hour. Only a few kids had lunch this late. They grabbed trays of the mystery food, then sat down at a small table. Hidan poked the lump of food on his tray, not quite sure what it was.

"It's chicken. Eat it before I do." He looked at her.

'You can have it. I don't think it's safe."

Umi snatched it from his tray, already tearing strips off with her teeth. Hidan watched her warily.

"What are you, part dog?" Her expression grew guarded.

"Why do you ask that?"

"Just look at you eat. It's like you've never seen food before." She relaxed.

"I have a high metabolism. I need to eat a lot."

"Ah."

Hidan ate the edible parts of his lunch, while Umi snatched what he left on his tray.

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"_How is that part important?" Kakuzu asked, caught up in the story._

"_That was where she truly started being herself around me. She started trusting me more, almost enough to tell me her secret. However, she couldn't yet. She didn't start trusting me until we had known each other for a few months…."_

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"Hey fairy!"

Hidan sighed.

"Why do you insist on calling me that?"

"It's the nickname I gave you. Get used to it." Hidan rolled his eyes and grinned. They had that argument every morning when they greeted each other. Also part of the tradition was where Hidan ran through a list of names he could give her. He still hadn't found one yet.

"So, how about 'Wacko'?"

"No."

"Crazy?"

"No."

"Psycho?" She looked at him.

"Just how am I psycho?"

"Have you seen yourself eat?"

She ignored him and continued walking to History. Hidan continued.

"Crazy cat lady?"

"I hate cats."

"Dog person?"

"No."

"Mutt?"

"No."

"Um, how about Unicorn?"

"I don't even want to know how you came up with that. No."

"Bitch?"

She froze. "Hell no!"

Hidan grinned.

"All right then, bitch it is."

"I said no!"

"Too bad!"

"Argh!"

They sat down at their desks, ready to begin the most boring class ever. They zoned through the notes, along with the rest of the students, then bolted out of the class as soon as the bell rang.

"Thank Jashin that's over!"

Umi no longer contradicted him on this, having learned last time when Hidan spazzed.

"So, to Gym?"

"I guess. Hey, didn't the teacher say we were sparring today?"

"Yeah, he did. It was supposed to be after he demonstrated weapon use."

"Didn't he show you already?"

"You still haven't seen it. Today, we're supposed to pick the weapon we want to specialize in."

"Have you decided yet?"

"Not yet."

They arrived at the gym, then sat down with the rest of the students, waiting for the teacher to arrive. He finally walked in, laden with weapons. He set them down on a table, then turned to the students.

"Allright students, you know what today is. While I give the weapons demonstration, try to decide what weapon you want to use."

The teacher picked up a katana, then began. The demonstration took about half the class. He finally put the last weapon down, then turned to the students.

"Allright, I'm going to call you down. Choose a weapon, then sit back down." He paused. "Without stabbing yourselves, please", he tacked on as an afterthought.

He called down the students one by one, until Hidan and Umi were left. He just waved at them, and they both rose and looked at what was left. Umi thoughtfully picked up a sickle set, one on a chain and two that were made for hand to hand combat. She twirled the pair in her hands, then clipped them to her legs in a way to have easy access if needed. She twirled the chained sickle slightly, then nodded happily and sat down.

Hidan stared at the weapons before him. His hands reached automatically towards a scythe, having minds of their own. It was a dull black, with two blades. He ran his fingers along the edges of the blades, hissing slightly when he cut his fingers. He drew his hands back, then picked it up firmly. This was his weapon. This was what he was meant to use.

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_Kakuzu stared at him._

"_So, that was where you learned to handle a scythe?"_

"_Yes."_

_Kakuzu glanced into the corner, where Hidan's scythe lay._

"_The one from your story doesn't look anything like yours."_

"_My original scythe broke soon after I got it. I had it replaced."_

"_I see. So, you were about to spar?"_

"_Yes. Umi was happy with her choice of weapon. I was paired up against a geek, while she had been paired against one of the best…"_

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"Allright, begin!"

Umi bent her legs, twirling the chain next to her. Her eyes read her opponent's intentional move, and she launched the sickle towards him. The attack would have removed his legs if the teacher hadn't preformed a non-injury jutsu on the weapons. As it was, it knocked his legs out from under him. He landed neatly on his hands, then flipped himself back up.

Hidan watched his friend fight, wondering how good she was. She flipped the sickle back towards her opponent, catching his ankle as he tried to leap away. He grabbed the chain from her and yanked it out her hands. She dropped it, and unclipped her hand-scythes. She twirled them once, then waited.

Her opponent leaped at her, and she parried his naginata with her scythes. She flicked the blades toward each other, and the blade fell off her opponent's weapon. Continuing the move, she flicked the weapons up, putting her arms around his neck in a swift movement. He froze. The scythes encircled his neck in such a way, if she twitched his head would roll.

"Umi is the victor."

She grinned and dropped her blades from the teen's neck, dancing away. She picked up her chain and turned to Hidan, eyes bright.

"Did you see that?"

"Good job!" The teacher called out, telling Hidan it was his turn to fight.

He gripped his scythe and walked toward his opponent, ready to begin. He grinned as he thought of how easily Umi had won, sure he could top her.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Continuation

_Kakuzu yawned._

"_Hey, let's take a break and get some tea. I have a feeling there's a long way to go in your story."_

"_You guessed right. Anyways, we might as well get something to drink. Do you think Pein's done with Umi?"_

"_I highly doubt it."_

_The pair walked through the tunnels to the kitchen. Hidan put water on to boil while Kakuzu got out mugs and teabags. Hidan grimaced._

"_Not grass tea again?"_

"_It's cheap. We're drinking it. Besides, it's not that bad."_

_Hidan just glared at the teabags that would produce the bitter tasting drink he hated. Why did they have to be so cheap? Kakuzu sat across from him at the table, the late night moon shining through one of the few windows. Hidan glanced casually at the clock, realizing it was around 4 a.m. _

"_While we're waiting for the kettle, you might as well continue."_

"_I was at the part where we began sparring, right?"_

_Kakuzu nodded._

"_Well, you see, after that day people didn't really pick on us any more. A few weeks into training, something happened to Umi that terrified me…."_

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"Hey, Umi, are you all right?"

"I'll be fine. It's just a headache", she panted. Hidan looked at her doubtfully; she was grasping her head with one hand, face etched in pain and eyes clouded. He sighed. Umi was about ready to admit a frailty as he was ready to give up his religion.

They continued walking to Chakra Control, Umi weaving slightly. A locker slammed, and she cried out and dropped her books, grasping her head with both hands.

"Umi?!" Hidan cried out in alarm. She kept walking, books forgotten. She staggered three steps, then collapsed.

"UMI!"

Hidan rushed over, frantic. He tried rousing her, and failed. Scared for her, he picked her up and ran as fast as he could to the hospital.

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"_What happened to her?"_

"_I was getting to that. It turned out to be nothing later, but then I was too scared to think of anything else but getting her to the hospital…"_

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Hidan sat by the unconscious Umi, twiddling his thumbs as he waited for her to wake up. She stirred, and he stood up.

"Mom?" she asked, eyes unfocused.

"Umi, it's me."

"Mom, it was too soon. We should have waited. I can't control it. Mom? Mom! Stop it, stop it! I can't control it, you have to stop it! Can you hear me?! Mom! MOM!"

Her screams brought the hospital staff rushing in, pushing Hidan out of the way. He sat numbly back down in his chair. Umi hadn't even recognized him. Would she be all right?

Eventually, the doctors managed to get her to calm down. They looked sympathetically at him, then left the room. One rested her hand on his shoulder before she left, but Hidan barely noticed. Would Umi be all right? Why wouldn't the doctors answer his questions?

A stranger rushed into the room, frantic. Her eyes landed on Umi, and she strided as quickly as she could to her.

"Umi? It's me, Mom. Can you hear me?" Hidan watched her. This was Umi's mother? Umi's eyelids fluttered, and the crystal-blue eyes opened, thankfully clear.

"Mom?" she mumbled, and her mother squeezed her hand.

"I'm here, honey. Are you all right?"

Umi ignored her and looked around the room, eyes landing on Hidan.

"Hidan? You came?" Her mother looked over at him.

"So this is your friend?"

"Hidan, you brought me here?" He blinked.

"You were unconscious when I brought you. How did you know?"

"I remember flying, and you were holding me…." Her eyes sank closed, and she went back to sleep. Her mother smiled sadly at her, then turned to Hidan.

"You rescued my daughter?"

"I guess."

"You have my deepest gratitude. Feel free to come visit while she's recuperating. I'm bringing her home tonight."

"I will come, thanks."

"Do your parents know where you are? They must be worried."

"Yeah, I should go home…."

Unwillingly, Hidan rose and left. He gave Umi one last look before he turned out of the room, then walked out of the hospital towards home.

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"_What was she screaming about?"_

"_I didn't find out until later. Once she showed me her secret, it explained so many things."_

"_Are you going to tell me now, or are you going to make me wait?"_

_Hidan grinned._

"_What do you think?"_

_Kakuzu sighed._

"_You're going to make me wait, aren't you?"_

"_That I am." He took a sip of his tea._

"_The next day, I went to go visit Umi…"_

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Hidan paused uncertainly on the doorstep. Did he really want to go in? The house was well on the outskirts of the village, surrounded by dark forest with a hidden field for a backyard. He raised his hand hesitantly, then timidly rapped on the door. He heard footsteps come toward him, and the door clicked open. Umi's mother stood in the doorway, looking at him.

"I'm glad you came. Umi will be so happy to see you. Please be quiet, though. Her headache's still pretty bad. She's awake now, if you'll come in."

She led the way into the house, stopping outside one of the doors.

"This is Umi's room." She walked away, leaving him alone there. He considered knocking, but that would probably aggravate her headache more. Biting his lip, he opened her door softly.

He blinked, trying to adjust to the gloom. The only light came from a heavily curtained window, and that light wasn't even enough to light two feet past it.

He ran his fingers against the wall, looking for a light switch, and he heard a grouchy, familiar voice say through the darkness, "If you turn on that light, you will lose your arm."

He quickly dropped his hand. "You don't have to threaten me. You could have just told me not to turn it on."

He dimly saw a movement in the gloom as Umi lifted her head.

"Hidan? You came to visit?"

"I'm here, aren't I?"

"Sit down. There's a chair next to my bed."

"If you haven't noticed, it's kind of dark."

"Take three steps forward, turn half-way to your right, then take two steps. The chair should be in front of you then."

He followed her instructions, and sat down in a desk chair.

"So, how are you doing?"

"What do you think? I'm stuck in bed all day."

Hidan grinned. If it was one thing she hated, it was staying still.

"Wipe that smirk off your face. I know it's there." He dropped his smile.

"Do you know what caused what happened?"

He heard a sigh.

"Yeah. I was born with a skeletal deformity. My body slants to the right, and my skull follows that pattern too. It created too much pressure on my brain, and I fainted."

"Can it be fixed?" Hidan asked worriedly.

"No, it can't. It doesn't normally get that bad, though. The doctors said I should be fine just as long as I don't hit my head. They don't know what caused it yesterday."

"You will be all right?"

"Didn't I just say that?" Hidan could almost hear the smile he knew she had on her face.

"I was worried, that's all." He could hear her yawn in the dark. They talked for a while longer, Umi growing sleepier and sleepier. She was silent for a while, and Hidan thought she had fallen asleep. He rose to leave, and he heard her sleepy voice ask, "Hidan?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you ever think about the future?" she murmured.

"Why do you ask?" He was answered with silence.

"Umi?" Soft breathing responded to him, and looked toward her sleeping form oddly. What could have possibly prompted that question?

Still wondering, he exited the room and shut the door softly behind him.

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"_Did you find out why she had asked you that?"_

"_I did, a year later. She did eventually get better, and came back to school a week after she had collapsed. We hung out more often after that, visiting each other's houses. Hey, I'm done my tea. Do you want to go back to our room?"_

"_Let me finish mine. Great, it's cold now. There, I'm done." _

_They rose and put their cups in the sink, then walked slowly back to their room silently. Kakuzu thought about Hidan's story a bit. He really didn't know his partner too well. Who could have guessed that he would have had a friend that he liked well enough to save her? Hidan wasn't the person Kakuzu had originally thought he was. He seemed more human now._

_They arrived in their room, and Hidan laid on his back on his bed, eyes staring at the ceiling. Kakuzu sat down as well, eager for Hidan to begin his story again. He was caught up in it like a fly in a spider's web._

"_Nothing much happened for the next year, except that we grew even closer as friends, if that was possible. We still had most of the same classes that year in school, and the gym teacher had been replaced. Umi started specializing in genjutsu, while also holding her own in taijutsu. Ninjutsu defeated her. That was my specialty, that and taijutsu. We balanced each other out, so it was only natural that we were placed together on the same squad…"_

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"Hidan! Did you hear? They're giving out team assignments today!" Hidan turned to Umi, grin just as wide.

"Yeah, I heard. Do you think they'll put us together?" She growled.

"They'd better. Hey, that's the first bell. See you later, fairy!"

"Meet you at the fountain, bitch!"

They waved farewell to each other, and Hidan headed off to his next class, the only one he didn't share with Umi. He ducked into the room and sat down in his regular seat, knowing the teachers wouldn't even try to teach past the excitement in the school. The classes were free, and finally the classes were called down to the gym. He booked it out of there, then ran to the hallway's fountain, waiting for Umi.

He saw her approach, and waved. She bounded over, and they both walked silently toward the gym, afraid to say anything that might jinx them. They sat together on a bench, too excited to sit still. The classes all found a seat, and they all waited for the Yugakage to come and announce the teams. She entered the courtyard, and everyone quieted.

"Hello! Today, as you all know, I will announce your teams. This is a proud day for the village, and know that we couldn't be more proud of you. You have progressed through three years of education, and have only one left. You will meet your team leader today, and be assigned to a squad. We tried to partner you with friends, to help you work together. Unfortunately, this year we have a dilemma. We are short one student to even it out, so there will be a two-member team."

Hidan and Umi turned to each other, eyes hopeful.

"I will announce the teams now. When I call your names, come forward to meet your squad leader."

She began calling off names, and the students stepped down with cheers and only a few groans. Umi and Hidan were one of the last few to be called.

"Umi, Hidan, you will be our two-member team. You balance each other out, and your team captain will be Tsume. Enjoy yourselves!"

Umi and Hidan gave each other high-fives, then scrambled to meet their new leader. He was dressed in dark clothes, typical of most ninja to blend in with the mists around them. He had a scar across his neck, and another one that held one eye shut, making him appear to scowl at them. However, his smile was warm and friendly.

"Hello! I'm Tsume, and I hope we get along. Umi, I have worked with your family line before, so I can help you control your special jutsu. Your mother told me you were having trouble with it?"

Umi nodded.

"Umi, what special jutsu is he talking about?" Tsume looked sharply at her.

"You haven't told him about your kekke genkai?"

"I didn't think it was that important. I haven't used it around him." Tsume just frowned at her.

"What is he talking about?"

"My family has an inherited jutsu. I have a little trouble using it. That's why I haven't used it around you. I don't want you to get hurt."

A kestrel flew over head, shrieking. All the jonin looked up.

"We have to go settle a border dispute. I'll see you guys later." Tsume blurred and vanished, along with all the rest. It was then that Umi and Hidan noticed the whispers around them.

"Man, I'm glad I didn't get stuck with those weirdos. That would have been horrible."

"I hear you. If I would have been stuck with them, I would have quit school. Those two scare me."

"Guys, they can hear us! Quiet down!" The students looked at them, then slowly shambled off. Hidan looked down at the ground. Umi looked at him.

"Hey, Hidan? Don't worry about it. They're just a bunch of losers. They don't matter."

Hidan remained silent. Umi softly punched his arm.

"Hey, fairy. Do you want to stay over tonight?"

"Why?"

"There's supposed to be a meteor shower. We can watch it, and when it's over we can go to bed. The village lights won't interfere at my house."

"Sure, I'll come. Where am I going to sleep?"

"You can either have top bunk in my room, or you can sleep on the couch. Your choice."

Hidan remembered the lumpy couch.

"I'll take top bunk. I just need to go home and tell my mom, and also grab some clothes and stuff. I'll be over as soon as I can."

"They're letting us out now, and your house is on the way to mine. I'll wait for you there, then we can go to mine."

They left the school, and walked to his house, chattering the entire way.

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"_So, you went over to her house?"_

"_Yeah. It was the first night I had stayed over. I can still remember the meteors going over my head…"_

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The two friends laid next to each other on the grass, watching the bright streaks arc over their heads. The empty tea mugs were at their feet, and they watched the bright lines in a wondering way. Life was perfect. No mosquitoes bit them, cicadas chirped, and the air was warm.

"Aren't they beautiful, Hidan?"

"Well, considering they're only chunks of space rock burning up in our atmosphere, they're all right."

Umi smacked him, and Hidan laughed.

"Way to kill a moment, fairy."

"It's what I'm good at, bitch."

They watched the sky again, silent in respect to the awesome spectacle above them. Hidan made a quick prayer to Jashin, thanking him for allowing him to see this.

"What did you say?"

"I was praying to Jashin."

"What for?" Hidan coughed, embarrassed.

"I was thanking him for the meteors."

Umi rolled over onto her stomach, looking at him with eyes that strangely reflected the light of the sky.

"Tell me about Jashin. You're always talking about him."

Hidan stared at her incredulously.

"You actually want to hear?" Umi just shrugged nonchalantly. Hidan rolled over to his stomach too, and looked at her glowing eyes.

"You actually want me to tell you about Jashin?"

"Is that a problem?"

"No, it's just that… well, no one has ever asked me that before. It kind of startled me."

"Sorry."

"It's all right. Let's see…. You know how some ancient cultures believed in different gods for different things?"

Umi nodded.

"Well, I guess you could call Jashin a god of death. Only it's not just death, it's also life."

Umi furrowed her brow in confusion. "Explain."

"Well, people think death is always a bad thing, but it's not. It's a cycle, life and death. You can't have death without life, and you can't have life without death. Do you understand now?"

"Yes."

"Jashin rules over death, but in that process he also decides who lives. It's not a bad thing, because people need to die anyways. He just chooses who goes. It's not based on good or bad, nothing influences his decision. I'm one of his few followers, if not his only one, but he would still kill me in a heartbeat if my life needed to end. See?

He also controls larger things, such as natural disasters. He causes earthquakes and storms. People might think a forest burning to the ground is bad, but it's not. Most of the trees are dead, but prevent new life from growing. He burns them down so new trees can live. The animals leave, and when they come back there's more food. It's a cycle, neither evil nor good. It's just life and death."

"How beautiful."

He looked at her.

"Beautiful?" he questioned.

"Yes. There is no meaningless destruction, no death going to waste. If only we humans could live like that. All wars would stop, and the world would be in harmony."

She rolled back over to her back, looking at the stars. Hidan followed her, noticing the meteors had stopped. They stared at the bright pinpricks of light in the sky, pointing out constellations to each other. He looked over to Umi, and saw the night sky reflected in her eyes. He felt a strange stirring in him, then just smiled and turned back to the stars, feeling perfectly at peace.

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"_That was when you started falling in love with her, wasn't it?"_

"_Yes. I didn't understand it at first, but I knew I couldn't live without her. She was my other half, the good that cancelled out my bad. She was perfect in my eyes. However, I didn't know that that perfection would come at a price."_

"_What are you talking about?"_

"_A week later, one of the kids said something near me he wasn't supposed to…"_

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**A/N: I wrote this a few days after I had one of my migraines. The one I had was particularily bad, and I had to be sent home from school early. I wasn't able to go to school for days after that, and I still have trouble with my headaches. Mine are caused by my skeletal deformity, so I know that it can happen. And people, thanks for reading this series. It makes me feel all fuzzy inside!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Revelation

"_That was when you started falling in love with her, wasn't it?"_

"_Yes. I didn't understand it at first, but I knew I couldn't live without her. She was my other half, the good that cancelled out my bad. She was perfect in my eyes. However, I didn't know that that perfection would come at a price."_

"_What are you talking about?"_

"_A week later, one of the kids said something near me he wasn't supposed to…"_

_-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

"Hey, did you hear? Supposedly, someone's reporting a dog missing. Do you think it's her?"

"Maybe. Isn't she supposed to be some demon or something?"

"I heard her entire family's a group of monsters. Maybe she killed the dog?"

"Maybe."

Without asking, Hidan knew they were talking about Umi. They never talked bad about anyone unless it was either him or his friend. But this was new. When had this rumor started?

Frowning, Hidan continued walking to meet Umi outside the school, where they met after going to their lockers everyday. He saw Umi, and approached her, intending on asking her about it.

"Hey fairy. What's with the face?"

"I heard some kids talking about you in the halls."

"What's new? I thought we were going to ignore them?"

"I was, but then one of them said your entire family were monsters. Where did this sprout from?"

Umi stiffened and stopped walking.

"Umi? Is something wrong?"

"Hidan, don't ever talk about that again."

"Umi? Seriously, what's up?"

"Hidan, NEVER talk about that again. EVER."

"Allright, allright, I won't. What's the problem?"

"My family's not normal. Put it that way." The tone of voice she used told Hidan she wasn't going to say anything more. He tried changing the topic as they walked home, but she remained stonily silent. Hidan eventually gave up, realizing she wasn't going to say anything.

He sighed, and walked up the steps to his house. She waited for him to walk in his house, like she always did, but her expression was sullen. He turned back and smiled weakly, but she didn't respond. He sighed again, then shut the door behind him, wondering what was wrong.

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"_Are you getting close?"_

"_Yeah. I was depressed when she refused to talk to me, but she was herself the next day. Three days after that incident, I asked her if she wanted to go to a concert…"_

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"Hey, bitch!"

"Yeah fairy?"

"I got tickets to a Disturbed concert! You want to come?"

"Serious?! Yeah, I'll go!"

"It's tomorrow night. I'll meet you at your house at six, ok?"

"Sure! Thanks, Hidan. I love Disturbed."

"That's why I asked you. They're supposed to play Deify at the concert. That's your favorite song, right?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"You always have that song playing when I come over."

"Well, thanks for inviting me. I'll see you later!"

Umi waved as she walked to her class, and Hidan waved back. He couldn't wait for the concert.

Later that day, they made plans to sleep at Umi's house when the concert was over, so Hidan brought an extra change of clothes over ahead of time. They had seats towards the middle of the stadium, so they could sit and be able to hear at the same time. Both were ecstatic, and when the concert came, Hidan waited eagerly outside Umi's house. Umi walked out, Disturbed t-shirt on and grin wider than the Mississippi. He grinned back, and they walked together to the concert, talking excitedly.

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"_Well, I won't bore you with the details of the concert, but we had a good time. It lasted long, so we ended walking back exhausted. She had re-arranged her room so the top bunk was on the other side of the room, not that it was that far away from the other bed. She had a small room, if I remember correctly."_

_Kakuzu blinked, trying to come back to this world. This was the first time Hidan had interrupted himself._

"_So what happened next?"_

"_That night, she had a nightmare. I'm not sure whether it was the concert or not, but I woke to comfort her all the same…"_

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Hidan woke to whimpers coming from Umi's side of the room. He blinked, then sighed and got up to comfort her. He took two steps, then sat down on the edge of her bed. He stroked and smoothed her hair, trying to soothe her. Her whimpers quieted, and Hidan rose to go back to bed.

"Hidan?"

"Yeah?"

She mumbled something quietly, and Hidan could have sworn it was, "Thanks." However, he wasn't sure.

She went back to sleep, and Hidan looked at her for a bit, then went back to bed.

He woke a long while later to bright sunlight streaming through the edges of the curtain. He yawned, then started to stretch. He froze. Something was sleeping against him. He looked down and saw Umi.

She was curled on top of the covers next to him, shivering. He lay still, unsure of what to do. Finally, he made up his mind.

He worked the blankets gently out from under her, then covered her with them, wrapping his arms around her. She shivered more, then stopped. She snuggled into his side. Hidan lay there, wondering how she had gotten there. The only thing that made sense was that she must have woken up and purposely laid down next to him. But why?

Umi murmured something in her sleep, and Hidan thought he heard his name. She turned her head into his chest, whispering to herself. Shocked, he squeezed her a bit. Did she really say his name, or had it been his imagination? Could she really feel the same way for him as he did for her? Was it possible?

Umi started stirring, and blinked open her blue eyes. She seemed confused when she saw Hidan's chest in front of her, then her eyes widened. She looked up, saw he was awake, then yelped and pushed herself off the bed, managing to push herself onto the floor.

Hidan peered over the edge of the bed at her.

"Are you all right?"

She just flushed a deep red and turned away.

"Umi, what was that about?"

She didn't answer him, apparently finding something absolutely fascinating about the carpet.

"Umi, please answer me. I hate when you ignore me. You don't have to say much. Do you like me?"

"Yes", she mumbled.

"As more than a friend?"

She didn't answer, turning a deeper red.

"Umi, plea-"

"Yes."

He blinked.

"What did you say?"

"I said yes. Happy?"

He stared at her for a while, then grinned.

"More than you can believe."

Shocked, she looked quickly up at him, seeing if he was serious. He was. She stared at him, not comprehending.

"Umi, I fucking like you. I liked you for a while, but I just realized it the night of the meteor shower. I was scared you wouldn't like me back. I didn't tell you how I felt, because I thought you would hate me for that."

"Hidan, I liked you the day I met you. It started out small, but it grew. Your personality intrigued me, making me want to get to know it more. Before I knew it, you had me trapped. I couldn't escape, and I didn't want to. It's kind of weird that I would fall in love with my first real friend, but I did."

"So, what do you say?"

"Huh?"

"Umi, do you want to go out with me?"

She studied his face, then smiled.

"Do you need an answer?"

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"_Wow", Kakuzu breathed. This was a part of Hidan he would have never guessed existed._

"_Yeah. We were a little uncomfortable at first, but we grew to know each other even more. Our love grew and blossomed like a fragile orchid, beautiful and eternal. At that time, I didn't know how eternal it could be."_

_Kakuzu furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"_

"_I had found out I was immortal by then, but I didn't know Umi was. I had been dating her for a year when her secret finally bubbled to the surface like a toxin. She had been growing more and more unpredictable, but she had never taken it out on me. Finally, I confronted her about it…"_

_-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

"Umi, I want an answer and I want an honest one, not some excuse like before. What is wrong with you?"

Umi bit her lip and looked down, leaning her head against her locker.

"You aren't going to let it go, are you?" she whispered.

"Umi, you nearly killed the lunch lady today when she told you there was no more ketchup. What's up?"

"I'm just having some trouble with my temper, that's all."

"That's bullshit and you know it. I want the truth, Umi, not an excuse."

She sighed, then looked at him with hurt eyes. Hidan almost considered taking it back, but held himself strong. She closed her eyes, and a tear leaked out the corner of one.

"I'll show you tonight."

"Why can't you show me now?"

"It's not safe here. There are too many people I could hurt." She turned away abruptly and started walking away. Hidan stared after her, confused and saddened by her pain. But he needed to know.

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"_Are you finally going to tell me?"_

"_I will if you stop interrupting me."_

_Kakuzu shut up and looked at him. Hidan's voice had started trembling. Was it really a horrible secret? And did he love her enough to actually be about to cry when he talked about her?_

_Hidan took a deep breath to steady himself, then continued._

"_That night, she led me to her back field. I can clearly remember the thin scratch of moon that rose and lit the world in a cold light…"_

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"Umi, why are we going back here?"

"Hidan, I have to tell you something."

"What is it?" She inhaled deeply, then let it out as a shaky breath.

"I'm going to become something scary, Hidan. I need you to remember that it's me, and not run. Whatever you do, do not run. If you run, I cannot guarantee that I won't hunt you down and kill you. Promise me you won't run?"

She turned to him, grasping his hand and looking at him with pleading eyes.

"I promise."

"Swear on Jashin."

"What?"

"I need you to swear on Jashin. That way I know you won't run."

"I swear on Jashin I won't run. Are you happy?"

She closed her eyes and smiled sadly.

"No, I'm not. The only way I can be happy is if you turn away right now and forget about this. Will you?"

"Sorry, but no."

Her smile fell.

"I supposed as much. Please forgive me when I'm done."

She opened her eyes and stepped away from him. She looked up, towards the moon, and her eyes glowed white. Suddenly, she screamed and fell forward, writhing on the ground.

"Umi?!" Hidan rushed forward, trying to help.

"Get back!" she snarled at him, swiping a hand at him. Hidan blinked and froze. The hand had just grown claws. He stood frozen as he watched her scream and writhe painfully on the ground.

Her hands and feet grew razor sharp claws, which she used to tear at her skin. Blood poured from the self-inflicted wounds, and her shriek never ended. Her face bulged out into a muzzle, which quickly filled with tearing fangs. Her muscles quivered, and her body exploded outward, tearing the clothes. She tore the remains of them off of her, and a tail extended from her spine. Her legs changed shape, and she stood on all fours, arms contorting as well.

Her neck thickened and lengthened slightly, and her muscles squirmed underneath the skin like worms. Her chest expanded with a cracking sound, and she screamed louder as the ribs snapped then healed themselves. Her spine broke and she fell, then it twisted itself to a new shape. Hidan watched this all, eyes wide and mind and body frozen.

Fur sprouted, and ears lengthened and grew pointed, migrating to the top of her head. She snarled, and saliva dripped as her fur finished growing. She howled violently, then snapped her head towards Hidan, glowing yellow eyes locked onto him, finished.

Hidan might have been stone. He couldn't move. The monster growled at him for a while, then recognition lit itself into her eyes. She covered her fangs and whimpered, trying to apologize. She shrank away from him and looked at him with fearful eyes, trying to contain the instinct to kill and eat him, muscles trembling with the effort.

The world remained still and silent, not a single thing moving, fearful of attracting the monster's attention. A voice entered softly into Hidan's mind. _'I'm going to become something scary, Hidan. I need you to remember that it's me, and not run. Whatever you do, __do not run.'_

He shook his head slightly, then looked at the giant wolf standing before him.

"Umi?" he asked, and his voice cracked. She whimpered to him, trying to smile without scaring him even more. She failed.

"Umi, what are you?" She looked up to the moon, then at herself.

"Are you trying to tell me you're a-a w-werewolf?" She lowered her ears and tail, sensing his fear, and turned away. Hidan stepped towards her, and her head snapped back around. Her eyes pleaded with him to stop, but he walked forward until he was almost touching her. She held herself rigid, head turned away and eyes screwed tightly shut.

He reached out a hand, and hesitated. He gathered up his courage and placed his hand on her shoulder, level with his. She flinched away from his touch, then held herself still. He petted her shoulder, and her muscles relaxed under his touch. She sat down, eyes closed pleasurably.

A deer appeared near them, saw Umi, then leaped away. Umi's eyes snapped open, becoming the monster again. Snarling, she leaped forward, shoulder carelessly knocking Hidan out of the way and onto the ground. His arm broke when he landed, and he cried out the same moment she caught the deer and brought it squealing to the ground.

She looked up briefly, then started eating the still-living deer. Hidan whimpered as he cradled his arm. Within seconds, Umi finished eating the deer, then walked curiously back to the thing that was whimpering on the ground. She nudged it with her broad nose, and when the thing uncurled and turned out to be Hidan, her human side regained control.

She jerked herself away, horrified, then howled mournfully. Hidan watched her fearfully as she turned back into a human. She was missing her clothing as she walked over to him, but he didn't notice.

"Hidan, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to break your arm! Argh, I should kill myself!"

"Why would you want to kill yourself?" She turned to him, eyes filled with pain.

"Hidan, I hurt you! I risked your life, and I hurt you! I don't deserve to live!"

Hidan stood up, fighting a wave of dizziness, then stumbled over to her. He sat down beside her sobbing form and put an arm around her shoulder's, trying to comfort her.

"It's all right, Umi. I took the risk. You tried to warn me, and I didn't listen. It's m-"

"Shut up, Hidan!" she screamed, twisting out of his grip. "Don't try to comfort me! I broke your arm! I'm a monster, Hidan, and if you were smart, you'd run away while you could."

He could hear the loneliness hidden behind her words. He got up and put his good arm around her waist.

"You've seen my grades. You know I'm not smart. I'm staying with you, Umi, until the end."

He could feel her trying to summon anger, and he felt her fail. She broke down and started sobbing, twisting to bury her face in Hidan's shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and simply held her.

"I love you, Hidan", she whispered. He buried his face in her hair.

"I love you, too."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Ending, and The Future

"So, that's it?" Kakuzu asked.

"Yeah, that's it."

"So she was a werewolf the entire time?"

"Yes."

"You were right. It does explain everything. The screaming in the hospital, never getting tired in gym, needing to eat a lot…"

"I told you it would."

They were silent, the early dawn lighting up their room.

"What happened?"

"Hmm?"

"After, what happened? You're here now, and you obviously hadn't seen each other in a while."

"Well, the village found out what she was, and the Yugakage forced her to leave. I grew heart broken, declared myself a rogue, and went looking for her. I searched for two years, then you guys found me. You forced me to join you, and I haven't seen her."

"Until now?"

"Until now."

They were silent for a bit more.

"Why do you think she helped the Waterfall nin yesterday?"

"I couldn't tell you, Kakuzu. You'd have to ask her yourself."

Again, the pair was silent. Kakuzu yawned, the stitches on his cheek stretching.

"That was kind of depressing."

"How?"

"You fall in love, are excluded from society, find out she's a werewolf of all things, and she gets kicked out of the village so you can try to find her for two years? That's counts as depressing in my books."

"Yeah, I guess. I'm going to sleep. Wake me when Pein's done with Umi."

Hidan rolled over and went to sleep, leaving Kakuzu to stay awake and wait for Pein to finish. He tried to be angry at Hidan, but failed. How could he be angry at Hidan after a story like that?

He sighed, then got up. Might as well walk around a bit. He exited the room, then walked alone through the tunnels. He let his mind wander, and he was surprised when he found himself outside the hospital wing. He walked in, somehow ending up standing next to the bed where Umi had lain.

His fingers brushed the sheets, thinking. He knew he would be told to kill Umi as soon as Pein finished with her, but he didn't think he could do it; not anymore. He also knew Hidan knew this as well, so what had he been thinking when he asked Kakuzu to wake him up?

Kakuzu's fist tightened on one of the metal railings, snapping it. The bastard! How could he ask that of him?! How dare he! That was Hidan's plan? He tried thinking of ways to get around it, but failed. That fucking prick was smarter then he let everyone else think. Kakuzu had walked right into his trap, playing into his hands. What made it worse was that there was no way to escape it. If he hadn't listened to the entire story, he might have been able to avoid this, but now it was too late.

Kakuzu hung his head, ashamed. How had he been tricked like that? Was it because he thought he had known his partner, and didn't think he was capable of anything like this? Or was it because he was too caught up in the story to think straight? And he called himself a criminal, he thought bitterly to himself.

"_Kakuzu, I'm finished with her. You know what to do."_

Kakuzu gritted his teeth, then turned to walk back to his room. How the hell was he going to get out of this one? He slammed open the door, and Hidan jumped awake.

"How dare you!" Kakuzu screamed, flying across the room to pummel Hidan. Hidan rolled off the bed, landing and flipping himself up, letting the bed take the punch. Kakuzu turned again to Hidan, cautious this time. Hidan was near his scythe now.

"Kakuzu, I'm not going to fight back. I didn't think you'd figure it out this soon."

"How could you ask this of me?" Kakuzu demanded, shaking with anger.

"You don't have to do this."

"Yes, I do, and you know it. You tricked me, Hidan."

Hidan grinned.

"Can't deny that. Now, shall we go?" Kakuzu could do nothing but follow him out the door, face pale as he thought of what he would have to do next.

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"Kakuzu, what do you mean you can't do it?" Pein demanded, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"I can't kill her, Pein. Hidan made sure of that."

They both turned and glared at Hidan. He grinned. "You can't make me kill her, nor can you kill her yourself, Pein. Your genjutsu will have no effect on her."

"So I've discovered. Kakuzu, go fetch Itachi."

Meanwhile, Umi watched the exchange. "That was well played, fairy."

"I thought so too bitch."

"Don't think this is over, Hidan. She will be killed."

"Don't count on that, Pein. Itachi won't be able to do much either. His sharingan will be his destruction, and he can't begin to hold his own in hand to hand combat with her, even in her weakened state."

"Don't count on it."

Umi grinned. "Thank you, Hidan, for giving me the opportunity to get revenge."

"No problem."

"What revenge?" Pein asked suspiciously.

"I've been wanting to kill you since I first heard you had kidnapped Hidan. I have been hunting you for the past year, Akatsuki leader, and now I have found you. That's the only reason I helped the Waterfall nin yesterday, so that I could get close to you. Now I can fulfill the promise I made so many years ago."

Kakuzu walked back, dragging an annoyed Itachi with him.

"Wait, Itachi-!" It was too late. Itachi had already activated his sharingan, dragging both him and the grinning Umi into the world where he had absolute reign.

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'Where am I', Itachi thought looking around him. This wasn't his world, he was sure of that. How did he end up here?

He heard a low, growling, chuckling voice behind him, and he whirled around. There was nothing.

_- Greetings, little bug. _-

He whirled again, searching for the voice.

_- You thought you had trapped the human's mind, didn't you? Foolish one, there is more then one being who occupies that mind. -_

"Who are you!" Itachi demanded, searching all around him, eyes peering into the infinite darkness surrounding him. The voice chuckled again.

_- You humans are so entertaining. I am the creature who rules the night, the Hunter, the Demon-of-the-Moon, and more. I am the the feeling that makes children hide under the covers, waiting for the dawn to rescue them. I am the destroyer of light, the God that rules Hell. I am everything, human, and you cannot escape me, for you no longer rule this world. -_

Itachi growled. "Like hell you are."

_- I am losing my patience with you, human. Bow to me now, and I will end your life quickly, or defy me longer and I shall make you suffer. -_

"I'm not bowing to someone who refuses to show themselves."

_- So be it. -_

Yellow eyes seemed to suddenly swallow the sky. They rolled casually down to look at Itachi. They flashed, and he fell to the ground, screaming, only aware of the force that threatened to tear him apart.

_-You had your choice… -_

_-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

The next thing everyone else knew, Itachi was screaming on the ground, blood pouring from his eyes. They stared at him dumbly, then turned to look at Umi. She looked down at him, face expressionless.

"He had his chance."

Pein took a step back.

"What the hell are you?" She turned to him, grinning in a humor-less grin.

"I am the one who will kill you."

She leaped forward, exploding outward into her giant wolf form. He tried running, but she snapped him up in her jaws and lifted him up into the air, yellow eyes watching him squirm maliciously. She grinned, something Hidan never wanted to see again. She twitched her neck slightly, and Pein flopped to one side. Bored with her game, she just shut her jaws, splitting Pein's body in half. He lived for a brief moment, enough to curse her, then died, eyes glazing over.

Umi bent her head down and started tearing him apart. Devouring him quickly, her teeth carved quickly through him. Just then, Konan turned the corner. She froze as she saw Umi eating her partner. She dropped the papers she had been carrying, then shook violently.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" she screeched, then launched herself toward Umi. The wolf spared her nothing more than a casual glance, then continued eating. Konan collided with her, and the wolf snapped her head around and cleanly separated her head from her body, bored. Konan's body fell, and she started eating her as soon as she finished devouring Pein.

Kakuzu watched, shocked. This was the girl that could barely raise her hand that morning?! The wolf yawned, bored, then turned to Hidan. She opened her mouth slightly, apologizing, and wagged her tail. He fearlessly scratched behind her ears.

"Just like old times, huh?" Umi panted happily and licked Hidan, covering him with bloody saliva.

"Gross, bitch. That's fucking disgusting."

She turned back into a human, somehow clothed.

"What, you didn't lose your clothes this time?"

"Pervert. I have had practice, you know."

"I wouldn't have guessed, considering how easily you transformed. By the way, how did they taste?"

"Pretty damn good, if you ask me."

"That's nasty."

Kakuzu watched her, terrified. "Hidan told me, but I didn't think…"

"That I was actually this? Yes, I am the Night Demon, my own curse. The gene has been passed down for generations, ever since the first made a deal with the original demon Himself. Centuries ago, He offered to share his power with Gen, the founder of my clan. Unknowingly, the foolish man agreed. This-" she motioned to herself "-is the result. The Great Night Being took over the body, conquering the weak human mind. With his new disguise, Bane raped women, spreading his gene. As a result, the Izou clan was created, a memorial to Gen's foolishness. We hid our power from the world, killing those who couldn't control it. The rest of the world eventually discovered us, and the Hunt began. A few of us managed to survive, and we banded together and went into hiding. We barely revealed ourselves again until last century, keeping on the outskirts of the villages. The genes weakened, until only my mother and I were left of the once-powerful Izou clan. Still, the gene was weak in her, and she feared it would be lost in me. However, it strengthened in my blood. Last year, my mother died."

She looked away, tears threatening to overspill. Her muscles trembled in weakness, and she sagged against the wall before her legs gave out. She slowly sank to the ground, then continued while Hidan sat next to her.

"I am the last of my kind. I am the last of the Nephilim, the fallen ones."

Kakuzu was fascinated with the clan history. He had heard of the Izou clan, but it was just a story to convince children to go to bed at night. "Go to bed, or the Izou will get you!", or "The Demons live in the dark, you don't want to go out at night!", or even "The Fallen will hunt you down if you disobey your father." The threats and names were many, but he never knew that they had been based on an actual clan! And if the threats were real, it made you wonder what the clan had done to start the threats.

"Why do you have so many names?" he eventually asked timidly. She looked up to meet his eyes, and they seemed to contain the wisdom of ages in them. The fluorescent lights were reflected back to him in her gaze, making it seem alien.

"They are the names your race gave us."

"How did you earn those names?"

She closed her eyes and leaned against Hidan, exhausted. He rubbed her back, watching her.

"The old clan used to hunt down and eat human children. It gave them the strength to resist being overthrown by the monster within."

"And in resisting the monster, you became it yourselves."

Her eyes flashed back open, glaring at him.

"Believe me, human, what we did to control ourselves was nothing compared to the destruction the Demons caused. Compared to Them, we were angels."

Kakuzu shivered. Hidan rose, picking her up with him. Umi had fallen asleep, and her head was cradled against his chest. He walked to the door, and Kakuzu put his hand on his shoulder.

"Where are you going?"

Hidan turned back to look at him, magenta eyes steel.

"There is no more Akatsuki, Kakuzu. I'm leaving. The Akatsuki robbed my childhood from me, as did my village."

He looked down at the sleeping women in his arms, eyes growing soft.

"I'm going to start a new life."

He ran out the door, and Kakuzu watched as he slowly disappeared into the distance.

**A/N: Hah, the end! Thank you people for reading and reviewing (you'd better review, I went through all this trouble), and I hope you enjoyed this! Farewell!**


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